Bonuses up to $2,000 are coming for Columbus City Schools bus drivers and other non-teaching employees as part of a new two-year agreement with their union that school board members approved Tuesday.

• The bonuses will be paid out in $500 installments over two years, using federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Why it matters: The move is the latest example of school districts across the U.S. trying to entice and retain workers amid a labor shortage. Locally, Licking Heights and South-Western schools are also offering similar bonus programs.

Threat level: Columbus has just over 600 drivers, but 555 are "active daily drivers," district spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant tells Axios.

• There were 765 drivers in 2019.
• Earlier this year, the district considered using public COTA buses to make ends meet but instead reduced its offered routes from 700 to 560.

Yes, but: That can result in longer ride times for students already affected by the driver shortage.

What they're saying: "Parents are upset because we're running late and buses are running behind, but we're giving everything 150% of what we have," Lois Carson, president of the district's non-teaching employees union, tells Axios.

• "We're doing our darndest to keep schools up and running."

Driving the news: While the "great resignation" is impacting industries everywhere, the issue is compounded for bus drivers.

• There were 15% fewer bus drivers nationwide in May 2020 than in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• They work irregular hours for a median pay of $16.67 per hour.
• A commercial driver's license is required, so hiring is a tedious process, though Gov. Mike DeWine announced last month that Ohio was prioritizing background checks for drivers.
• Many drivers are older, so they're at greater risk of COVID-19 complications.

Flashback: Columbus increased hourly pay for bus driver trainees from $11 to $18.50 in June. Starting pay is $19.88 an hour.

• Bus drivers and all non-teaching employees got 3% raises this year and will get 2.25% raises next year.

💭 Alissa's thought bubble: This is a tough problem and I'm not sure there's an easy solution. Even before the pandemic, districts everywhere were competing for the same shrinking talent pool.

• Given that dilemma, I'm surprised the district and the union couldn't come to an agreement sooner. Their contract expired Aug. 31.

Imagine, for a moment, a Major League Baseball game in Columbus.

• Seeing José Ramírez smack a double in the capital city. Watching in awe as Joey Votto scoops another ball at first base, all with the Columbus skyline in the background.

Driving the news: After playing in an Iowa cornfield last year, MLB is reportedly looking for more "nontraditional" venues for regular season games.

Here's our pitch: Restore Cooper Stadium to its former glory and bring the Reds and Guardians to Columbus for a proper Battle for Ohio.

Flashback: Cooper Stadium, located on Mound Street just off of Route 70, was built in the early 1930s.

• The park hosted minor league teams for many decades, with future stars like Derek Jeter, Willie Stargell and Mariano Rivera calling Cooper Stadium home, before they moved to Huntington Park in the Arena District in 2008.
• Plans to convert the site into a racetrack have fizzled. A portion of the stands are demolished and the park remains vacant.

The intrigue: Cooper Stadium once hosted several seasons of Negro League Baseball back in the '30s.

• The abandoned stadium is one of the very few Negro League parks still standing.

State of play: MLB has focused much attention in recent years to social justice causes and racial equality.

• Last year, MLB elevated the Negro Leagues to "major" status — meaning the Columbus Blue Birds games once played at Cooper Stadium are recorded in the official major league record books.

Our thought bubble: What better way to honor the legacy of Negro League baseball in Ohio than bringing Cooper Stadium back to life?

• Besides Reds-Guardians games, the site could be utilized year-round for youth programs and exhibition contests.
• It could also include history exhibits about the Blue Birds and the entire Negro Leagues.

A Haitian gang is demanding a $17 million ransom in exchange for releasing a kidnapped missionary group from Ohio. (AP)

🏀 The Buckeyes men's and women's basketball teams are both ranked No. 17 on the preseason AP polls. (NCAA: Men's, Women's)

Columbus City Council faces criticism from a local NAACP leader for allocating funds to a housing nonprofit organization previously involved in an embezzlement scheme. (The Columbus Dispatch)

🍜 Red Rabbit Ramen is moving into the Budd Dairy Food Hall's rotating restaurant space beginning Monday, per a news release.

A rapidly growing community known for its major golf tournament and Wendy's headquarters has bragging rights as one of the best small cities in America.

Driving the news: Dublin ranks 10th on WalletHub's best small cities list, the highest notch for any Ohio locale.

• WalletHub reviewed cities between 25,000 and 100,000 in population in terms of affordability, economy, education/health, quality of life and safety.

What they found: Dublin fared poorly in terms of affordability, but more than made up for it with high marks on the other sections.

• The city earned credit for an expanding restaurant and nightlife scene on both sides of the Scioto River.

Of note: Two other Franklin County cities, Hilliard (78th) and Upper Arlington (96th), made it into the top 100.

👋 Tyler here. I'm mesmerized by these 1980s commercials for a tire shop, truck stop and small-town bank in nearby Licking County.

• Feast your eyes on the greasiest breakfast our great state has to offer, and a Ned Flanders look-alike offering financial advice in his dining room.